


Pieced Together

by Rachel Wilder (rwilder)



Series: Pieces Series [2]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-01-14
Updated: 2000-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 11:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3528284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rwilder/pseuds/Rachel%20Wilder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their marriage Mulder and Scully face new challenges as they try to start a family. This is a sequel to "Picking up the Pieces." You really should read that first to get this one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pieced Together

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: I have to thank Beth, an extremely persistent correspondent for inspiring this one. I had decided that things were resolved well enough after the first story, but she kept giving me story ideas. I hope this was what you were looking for! As always, I am indebted to my incredible beta readers: Vali, Gerry and Marti. You keep the Mulder on target and the sentences properly punctuated.

September 12, 2000  
4:55 p.m.  
  
Mulder watched through the window as the young girl walked down the sidewalk, opened the door and dropped into the car without a glance at the man driving her. At fourteen, Karen Wallace had serious problems with depression and attachment disorder. For every step Karen and Mulder took forward in therapy, they seemed to take two steps back. He sighed and pushed away from the desk. Scully would be home soon, and part of the agreement was that he would start the meals after his last patient for the  
day had gone.  
  
He rolled through the kitchen and onto the deck built on the back of the house. There were a number of benefits to living in a house, but the gas grill was the one he was currently most pleased with. He turned on the propane and lit the burner. Some potatoes, bread, salad, along with the steaks on the grill . . . a feast in the comfort of their own home.  
  
Returning to the kitchen, he considered the plight of Karen Wallace once more. She had been seeing him for nearly seven months, one of his first clients after he had begun his private practice. Placed in foster care after years of bouncing from a variety of family members' homes, she was unbonded and unattached and had begun acting out sexually. Now in foster care, she was participating in therapy sessions with Mulder twice a week at his office at home.  
  
It had been Scully's idea to begin a psychology practice. After three months of desk duty at the Bureau, it was clear that Mulder wasn't going to be satisfied with his restricted duty. It had been nearly two years since the accident, the fall down the mountain, and the permanent injury to his spine, and he was still adjusting. There were mornings when he woke up ready to jump out of bed and go running, and then he remembered. Life wasn't bad this way, but it was different and the loss of his legs, his quest, the life he expected were to be mourned like any other loss.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the slam of the kitchen door. Scully waved as she passed through the kitchen and headed for their bedroom. They had moved from the accessible apartment in Alexandria to a one-level home near Woodbridge. Scully worked  
out of Quantico now and Mulder had quickly discovered that there were enough people with fucked-up lives that he could locate his practice wherever he pleased. Living in suburbia had its benefits. They had a nice house with an office for him, a spare bedroom for visitors, a big deck, carport that held both cars. Life was good. They were happy, but somehow it still didn't feel like enough. Something was still missing.  
  
"So?" Mulder asked when Scully returned to the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and poured herself a glass holding it out in a congratulatory, yet mocking pose.  
  
"To better luck next time," she said, her voice drained of any emotion. She finished the glass off and reached for the bottle. Mulder's hand stopped her.  
  
"I'm sorry. We'll . . . hell, I don't know what we'll do, but let's not get ripped before dinner. Buster set these steaks aside especially for us and I would hope that you would at least enjoy that."  
  
Scully had finished her day with yet another appointment at the gynecologist. After the triumph of their marriage, a wonderful honeymoon, and their return home, they had turned their efforts toward getting pregnant. She had never questioned Mulder about  
the appearance of her ova, knowing that the story would probably be as painful as the other aspects of her abduction, cancer, infertility, etc. Now as yet another test came back negative those questions began to nag at her more insistently.  
  
"Mulder," she began. He stopped near the door with the platter of steaks. She shook her head. "Never mind, get the meat on the grill." He smiled gently and pushed his way out the door. She looked blankly at the wall and then finally laid her head down on the table. It had been a long day, filled once again with disappointment.  
  
Mulder dropped the steak onto the hot grill. It sizzled while he sprinkled a little seasoning salt on the meat. It was a pleasant fall Virginia evening and he considered whether they should eat outside. His decision was pushed aside by the realization that despite his endorsement of the meal, the bad news was going to ruin the meal for both of them. He heard the door bang shut behind his wife and pivoted his chair so he could see her.  
  
"You or me?" he asked, the "baby code" alive and well in their conversation. This had been the fifth and seemingly final attempt to impregnate Scully. Their fertility doctor had never held out much hope for the vial of eggs he had saved from the lab, but they had charged forward, certain that their luck would have to change at some point. The first attempt had come shortly after their return from their honeymoon in Vancouver. Retrieval of Mulder's sperm had been almost as scientific as the fertilization of Scully's ova.  
  
First there had been tests to see if he had sperm, then tests to see if they were healthy. A trip to the doctor's office and some quality time with a vibrator had failed to assist in the retrieval so they had moved on to electroejaculation, a procedure more distasteful than its name. After a bout of autonomic dysreflexia, sky-rocketing blood pressure, the process had finally produced a usable quantity of the little swimmers. One petri dish later Scully and Mulder had waited anxiously to see if any of the 5 implanted eggs would take. One box of Playtex later it was clear that they would have to start over again. And again and again until finally this time they had tried a new procedure: intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The doctor had injected a single sperm from Mulder directly into one of Scully's eggs under microscopic guidance. At this point they were running out of options.  
  
"It seems to be me. Not only is my body aging, but those eggs were a little on the 'do not sell after' side of the dairy case," Scully said, rubbing Mulder's shoulders. She dropped her head down into his hair, tears slipping slowly from the corners of her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Scully," he responded, turning so he could pull her onto his lap. She began to sob more loudly, her head tucked into his shoulder, his hand running over her beautiful red hair. *What had he done. Why had he given her this false hope?*  
  
She pulled her head back away from his body and looked at him, her skin covered with the salty remains of her tears. "I guess that's that unless . . . " Scully's voiced trailed off.  
  
"Unless what?" he asked.  
  
"Where did you get the eggs, Mulder? Are there more?"  
  
*~*~*  
Mulder beat a hasty retreat after the dinnertime clean-up, begging off their regular TV viewing, saying that he had to finish some notes on his sessions from the afternoon. He had managed to put off Scully's queries about the eggs, trying to assuage her worries that they would never be successful. As he stared at the computer screen, trying to recall what breakthrough he'd had after Karen Wallace left that afternoon, his mind wandered back to that January day almost four years before. Scully had been sick, in the hospital in Allentown, and he was desperate for anything to help her.  
  
He had gone to the fertility clinic with Curt Crawford looking for answers. Instead he had found more questions, more mysteries. And he had found the ova. He had tucked the vial in his pocket, later sending it with Byers for safe storage. As Scully's health had worsened he had forgotten about the vial, focusing instead on trying to help her survive the latest plague he had brought on her house. By the time she had recovered, they had discovered Emily and the time didn't seem right. It had been a sin of omission. The worst sin he could have committed against Scully.  
  
He sighed and leaned forward to shut the computer down. He knew that he should go and talk to her about it, but he still wasn't sure what he would say. What could he possibly come up with that was close to the truth? He had not wanted to hurt her and  
by doing so he had hurt her worse than anyone else could. He transferred himself over to the familiar black leather couch, hauling his legs onto the cushion. He rested his head back against the pillow, closing his eyes. There was a light tap on the door and then he heard it open.  
  
"You should come to bed. It isn't good for you to sleep there," Scully said, walking over to the couch. She held out her hand, but he shook his head. "Damnit Mulder, if you don't want to talk about this, then we won't, but I do know that if you sleep on this couch you're probably going to get a pressure sore and then that becomes both of our problems. "  
  
He pushed past her, reaching for the wheelchair, transferring in and moving out into the hall past her. She sighed and trailed after him. *My god . . . he was the one that had held back from her about the ova. Why did she feel like the bad guy in all of this?*  
  
She came into their bedroom to find him finishing up in the bathroom. He didn't acknowledge her arrival, moving into their bed. He pulled off his T-shirt and tossed it across the floor. She sighed, picked it up and put it in their hamper. Scully removed her robe and pulled the sheets back, slipping in next to him. She ran her hands across his muscled chest, pausing on the pucker where she had once shot him. His nipples hardened as her fingers danced across the surface, tickling him lightly. She leaned in and kissed him, softly at first and then more urgently. Her hands ranged lower, but never below the demarcation line. He sighed, reaching his hands into her hair and pulling her closer. He levered himself up so he could roll his torso over on her.  
  
  
"What are you doing, Scully?" he asked.  
  
"Trying the old-fashioned way," she responded. He snorted lightly. It was a long-time joke between them. He rolled on his back and exhaled.  
  
"I should have told you about them. I . . . I knew and I kept them, but I . . . it was wrong." He rolled up on his elbow and looked at her. "You know that I would die before hurting you, don't you?"  
  
"You say that Mulder, but you didn't tell me about this. You didn't tell me about the experiments until we found Emily. I just start to wonder what else you aren't telling me."  
  
"I . . . " Mulder stopped. There was no defense in this argument. He had lied to her, misled her. Would she ever really trust him? He reached up to take her hand in his. "I found them in Allentown. The Curt clones told me about the experiments and I took the vial. I gave it to Byers and he arranged for it to be stored. I assume they may have more somewhere, but I don't know where. I'm sure they aren't in Pennsylvania any longer. I'm . . . I'm sorry Scully. Sorry about the baby, everything."  
  
He looked at her, his eyes wet. He knew how much she wanted the baby and her disappointment was his, her sorrow his as well.  
  
*~*~*  
A day later  
  
Scully walked out of the Forensic Science Research and Training Center, squinting into the setting sun. She looked for Mulder's car, but didn't see it. Hers had been in the shop so she had taken advantage of the local carpool. A horn tooted across the drive and she looked more closely. It was Mulder, but he wasn't in his car. He wasn't in her car either. He was sitting in the passenger seat of a gray Saab convertible. In the driver's seat was Frohike. She laughed and walked over.  
  
"What has gotten into you, Mulder?" she asked. Frohike climbed out of the driver's seat and made a sweeping gesture with his arm. She smiled and climbed in the driver's seat. She ran her hands across the leather steering wheel cover. "Very nice. Was this a donation to the effort, Frohike?"  
  
The small man smiled. "Look's like my chariot's arrived," he said as a rattletrap VW van pulled up. Before Scully could ask another question the sliding door opened and he hopped in.  
  
"Mulder?" she asked as he smiled at her.  
  
"I was sitting at home thinking about last night, how bad we felt and I thought we could cry our eyes out every night, or we could do some of the fun things that we couldn't if we had the baby." Her mouth opened, but he reached over and lay his finger over her lips. "I know, this doesn't replace the baby, but until we decide what to do . . . I thought it would be fun to own a convertible."  
  
She stared at him and minute and then shook her head. "You're crazy, Fox Mulder. You decided this morning?" He smiled and then quieted her with a kiss on the mouth.  
  
"Now, let's get out of here. I want to see how she handles on the Jeff Davis Highway," Mulder responded.  
  
*~*~*  
6 Months later  
  
"I really think that this new therapy would be good for Karen," Mulder said. After more than a year of working with Karen Wallace it had become clear that even his best efforts weren't going to be good enough. She needed more than he could give her. He was recommending an inpatient setting in nearby Warren County. They had had a fair amount of success with unbonded adolescents.  
  
"I agree," replied Sarah Montgomery, her social worker. "I have to admit that I've been pretty challenged with this one. I feel like I'm unable to give her what she needs, but then again there are 14 other kids on my service."  
  
"Really," Mulder said, leaning back in his chair, shading his eyes against the wonderful brightness of the March afternoon. The weather had finally warmed up and it was great to be able to get outside again. "Fourteen. Is that more than usual?"

"Not with the cutbacks on the county level. Actually, this latest one is causing me a lot of trouble. It's an infant with long-term placement needs. People are just afraid of getting attached."  
  
Mulder nodded, playing with his lip. After a moment he looked over at her. "What kind of long-term placement?"  
  
"Well, the mother was murdered by the father. Parental rights are being terminated, the grandparents are interested in staying in contact, but not in having primary responsibility."  
  
Mulder tipped his head back, in thought. "An infant?"  
  
"Five months. Why? Do you know someone?" Sarah asked.  
  
"I don't know, I was just thinking . . . Scully and I. Well, we tried and . . . " his voice trailed off as he gestured to his motionless legs. She nodded. "Do you think we could get certified?"  
  
"I don't see why not. Are you ready for the responsibilities of an infant?"  
  
"I think so. But, let me talk it over with Scully, okay?" Mulder responded, his mind already running a million miles ahead.  
  
*~*~*  
"I don't think so," Scully said, turning back from the refrigerator to look at Mulder as he sat at the table in the center of the kitchen. "A foster baby? Isn't that opening a can of worms, Mulder?"  
  
He stopped chopping the vegetables for their stir-fry and considered the comment. "It just seems to me that we want a family, and here is this baby who needs one. Yeah, she might have problems, but aren't we equipped to deal with that? I'm here all day, you're a very nurturing person. I've seen you with kids, Scully. You're great. You should have them in your life."  
  
She sat down across from him, the bottle of stir-fry sauce forgotten in her hand. "Well, if we're going to do this we should get some help here. You'll need to keep working. And we'll have to get a different car."  
  
"Why?" Mulder asked.  
  
"Everyone knows you can't put a baby seat in a convertible," Scully replied, smiling for the first time since Mulder had brought up the child.  
  
*~*~*  
"So I presume you were successful," the man commented quietly as he pulled the cigarette from his lips.  
  
"Like you said, they were ripe for the picking. They're picking the baby up tomorrow," Sarah Montgomery replied.  
  
"And they have no idea of the baby's origin?"  
  
"No. The backstory seems to have held together. I have the grandparents lined up. After the Mulders pick the baby up they'll see that she's in a good family and relinquish their ties as well. The adoption should occur within the year."  
  
"Good," the smoking man replied, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"So, why is this so important to you?" the social worker asked.  
  
"Sometimes, Miss Montgomery, it's better to not know much about these things."  
  
*~*~*  
One Week Later  
  
Scully walked alongside Mulder into the social services building. She was clearly apprehensive, but if Mulder was nervous, he was covering it very well. The secretary greeted them and ushered them into a small conference room. After a moment Sarah Montgomery arrived.  
  
"I just have some forms for you to sign and then we can get you on your way," she said, passing a sheaf of papers over to Mulder and Scully. Scully looked over the first page and turned to the social worker.  
  
"What is her name?" she asked, picking up the first page and scanning the next sheet.  
  
"Her mother was murdered while the baby was still in the hospital, after her birth. We think that the husband was not the natural father. There wasn't a name on the birth certificate, so you may choose one."  
  
Scully nodded and signed her name. She passed the papers over to Mulder. "What about the grandparents?"  
  
"They've decided that since the baby is with a loving couple that has living parents that they would rather not be involved in the child's life at this point. The death of their daughter has been traumatic enough," Sarah replied. She pulled the papers back from Mulder, looked them over and then stood up. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll go get the baby."  
  
The room seemed deadly silent, although Mulder kept incessantly drumming on the table. Finally Scully took his hand in her own. She was about to speak when the door opened to reveal the social worker holding a small bundle.  
  
"Here you go," she said as she handed the baby to Scully. The baby's tiny head was covered with dark hair; her eyes closed as she sighed and moved slightly in Scully's arms. She was tiny, much smaller than Scully had anticipated. Scully ran her finger over the baby's cheek.  
  
"Hey, what do you have there?" Mulder said, putting his arm out to touch the baby. Scully turned to him, her face covered with a smile. She leaned over and placed the baby in Mulder's arms.  
  
"Why don't you take care of this little one?" she replied. They shook Sarah's hand and then exited, Scully pushing Mulder's chair, the baby firmly in his arms. She paused at the door and turned back to the social worker. "Thank you. You can't imagine what this means to us," she said, her voice catching.  
  
Sarah nodded, just wishing they would leave before her guilt and deceit became apparent.  
  
*~*~*  
"Oh Dana, she's so small," Mrs. Scully cooed as she looked into the bassinet. "Are you sure she's already 5 months old?"  
  
"She is, but she was premature and a bit undernourished. The pediatrician assured us that she would plump up soon enough," Scully replied.  
  
"Is that anything to worry about?" her mother asked, turning to look at her daughter.  
  
Scully shook her head. "Not so far. We think she's pretty cute, and well, the rest of it we'll just wait and see."  
  
There was a knock at the door. Mulder called out that he would get it. He reappeared a moment later trailing a motley group of three.  
  
"We wanted to wish the newest special agent all the best," Frohike said as he thrust a package at Mulder. "Geez, Mulder. She even looks like you, minus the schnoz of course."  
  
"Thanks, I think. I'm assuming this is safe to open," Mulder said, smiling at his friends. He pulled the paper off to reveal a nursery monitoring system.  
  
"This one is wired up so you can't surveil it from the outside," Langley said, reaching for the box and opening it up.  
  
"It appears to be the standard Fisher Price model, but actually it's a Z8745 closed circuit monitor. Generally used by black ops, the alphabet agencies, etc.," Frohike explained.  
  
"And for less pressing matters," Byers said, holding out another box. Scully opened it to reveal a beautiful pink frilly dress.  
  
"Oh Byers, this is beautiful. Thank you!" Scully exclaimed.  
  
"So, are you going to just call this one Baby Mulder, or is it Baby Scully?" Frohike asked.  
  
"Well, after running through the gamut of names and discarding them I think we may have come to a consensus," Mulder replied.  
  
"And?" the lone gun men asked in unison.  
  
Mulder looked at Scully and smiled. She picked up the baby and handed her to Mulder. He peered down into the baby's blue eyes. "I would like to introduce you to Anna Scully Mulder."  
  
"So, you're going to change her name and everything?" Byers asked.  
  
Scully nodded, running her hand lightly over the baby's head. "There wasn't a name on record with social services. The mother hadn't put it on the birth certificate before she died, so we don't know what it was. And , the grandparents have given up their rights, so we're going to proceed with the adoption. It will take about six months to be final, but there don't seem to be any red flares."  
  
Maggie looked over at Mulder, her eyes cautious; it all seemed just a little too easy, too convenient, but he smiled and nodded slightly. Everything was going to work out.  
  
*~*~*  
Later that night  
  
"We don't have anything to worry about, do we?" Scully asked as she placed the baby on the floor next to Mulder.  
  
"I don't think so. I mean, we shouldn't forget that something could happen, but the baby deserves all of our love now, not in six months." He turned his head to look at the little girl. He was a little embarrassed, but she seemed to have stolen his heart. He really couldn't imagine life without her, even after just a few days.  
  
"I agree," Scully said as she picked Mulder's leg up and moved it through range of motion exercises. The baby giggled.  
  
"You think that's funny?" Mulder said, teasing her. "Mommy's just helping Daddy out here. When you're big, you can do it too!"  
  
Scully looked over at him, her face covered with a smile. "That sounded pretty damn good."  
  
"Hey, watch the mouth, little sailor," Mulder teased. She set his leg down and leaned over to kiss him. He pushed himself up into a seated position and pulled her closer. She laughed and leaned over to pick up the baby.  
  
"See Anna, this is daddy thinking he's going to get lucky," she said to the baby. Anna laughed again and patted Scully's face.  
  
"That does sound pretty good," Mulder said as he put his arm around Scully and the baby.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know," Mulder replied.  
  
"I just want to hear you say it," she said, smiling at him.  
  
"Daddy. Hey there Anna, this is your daddy," Mulder said as Scully handed the baby to him. Anna giggled again as Mulder pulled her close.  
  
*~*~*  
Six months later  
  
"So, things are proceeding?" the smoking man asked his young accomplice.  
  
"Perfect. We've completed the three home visits and the Mulders are perfect candidates for adoption. We're just waiting for the judge to sign the papers."  
  
"And no red flags from the parents?"  
  
"No, Dana and Mulder are delighted with the baby."  
  
"Good."  
  
*~*~*  
Five months later  
  
"Hey Scully, come help me with this," Mulder called. Scully came into their bedroom and started laughing. Mulder had Anna by the straps on her overalls.  
  
"What are you trying to do to my baby?" Scully asked as she picked the little girl up and placed her on Mulder's lap. Even at eighteen months they still thought of her as a baby. In a moment of psychoanalysis Mulder decided it was their way of coping with her being their only baby.  
  
"She's getting a little big for the Snugli. I guess we'll have to move on to our next great scheme for containment." Anna squirmed on Mulder's lap, muttering her usual incomprehensible gibberish. She had been walking for a couple of months and it was getting harder for Mulder to keep track of her.  
  
"Well, I still have a set of handcuffs around here somewhere," Scully responded. She ran her hand back over the baby's head. "Does she feel hot to you?"  
  
"Yeah, a little bit. We were just headed to the nursery to get the thermometer. She seems a little subdued or something."  
  
Scully frowned and then disappeared in search of the required instrument. She quickly returned and took the baby's temp. "101. Maybe we should take her in."  
  
Scully picked Anna up and carried her over to the bed. She laid the baby down and pulled her outfit off.  
  
"What are those?" Mulder asked, peering over her shoulder. Scully ran her fingers across the baby's torso and legs. Small red marks covered her limbs and trunk. She turned and looked at Mulder.  
  
"We need to take her to the hospital right now."  
  
*~*~*  
Scully dropped Mulder and the baby off at the emergency entrance. Mulder rolled into the hospital, surveying the room. Seeing the admitting desk he headed over, Anna carefully tucked against his chest.  
  
"Hi. I'm Fox Mulder. My wife, Dana Scully had called in. Dr. Matheson was going to meet us here."  
  
The clerk noted the message from the doctor and led them to an exam room. Scully appeared before the nurse left.  
  
"You must have some pull here," Mulder said as he pulled Anna's coat off.  
  
"Jane and I went to med school together. Once again...it's who you know," Scully said as she reached over and took the baby from Mulder. Anna tucked her head into her mother's shoulder. Scully patted her gently on the back.  
  
"So, do we have to worry?" Mulder asked.  
  
"I...I don't know. We need to do some tests. Anything I say now would be guessing," Scully responded as she adjusted the baby in her arms. If anything Anna seemed more listless than she had been at the house.  
  
Mulder was about to push her further when the door opened to reveal Jane Matheson. She crossed the room, taking time to greet both Mulder and Scully before turning her attention to Anna. Scully lay the baby down on the examining table.  
  
"So Miss Anna, you aren't feeling so well?" she asked as she pulled Anna's T-shirt off. She felt the baby's neck and belly, listening to her heart. She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and turned to look at Scully and Mulder.  
  
"So?" Scully asked as she took the baby back in her arms.  
  
"You did the right thing bringing her in, calling me. I'm going to get a nurse in here to take some blood, and that will tell us what to look for next."  
  
Scully nodded and shifted the baby to her hip. The doctor disappeared into the hall, a nurse reappearing a moment later. She efficiently drew blood from the baby, with barely a whimper from the child, and then departed.  
  
"So, what now?" asked Mulder, shifting in his chair. Anna started to fuss in Scully's arms so she handed her to Mulder.  
  
"We wait. Do you want anything? Coffee?"  
  
"Nah, let's just wait. We can do that, can't we Anna-bean?" Mulder said as he twisted his face into a funny look for the baby. She giggled slightly, but it was clear she didn't feel well.  
  
Finally Jane reappeared.  
  
"Well, her counts are really low," the doctor said, consulting the chart in her hands. "Her red count is 2.34, hemoglobin 8.1, platelet count of about 21,000. The white count is pretty much non-existent, which explains the infection."  
  
"What about her hemocrit?" Scully asked, her face creased with concern.  
  
"It's 22.3, Dana," Jane answered.  
  
"What does that mean?" Mulder asked.  
  
"She's dangerously anemic. I want to do a bone marrow aspiration and then I think we should transfuse her with both red cells and platelets. Do you know her blood type?" Jane asked.  
  
"B+, same as me," Scully answered. "Should I donate some blood?"  
  
"We shouldn't use your blood in case you're a match for bone marrow, if it comes to that," the doctor replied.  
  
"It's probably okay, I'm not . . . I'm not her natural mother," Scully responded, stumbling over her words slightly.  
  
Mulder had grown very quiet during their exchange, his embrace of the baby, tightening.  
  
"What do you mean with all of this? Bone marrow aspiration, transplant? What's wrong with her?" he asked.  
  
"We'll need the marrow to confirm, but it looks like aplastic anemia," Jane responded. Scully turned her body away, her shoulders shaking slightly as she could no longer hold off the tears.  
  
*~*~*  
The bone marrow aspiration confirmed Scully and the doctor's fears. It was aplastic anemia. They would start the baby on cyclosporine and prednisone to see if she would respond to drug therapy. Scully had asked to be tested for marrow compatibility just in case it came to a transplant. They were in Jane's office waiting for the results of Anna's CBC after the transfusion and initial drug treatment.  
  
Aplastic anemia could be a fatal disease, the only cure being a successful bone marrow transplant. The anemia destroyed the marrow's ability to make new cells. If Anna's marrow didn't respond to the drugs, the transplant would be her only hope.

  
"Sorry, I needed to go back and check something again," Jane said as she came in and sat down at her desk. Maggie Scully had stayed upstairs in the pediatric ward with the baby. She was on IV antibiotics to treat the initial infection.  
  
"Anything wrong?" Scully asked, her expression again taking on the look of concern that seemed to be ironed into her face. 

"You said that Anna is adopted?" Jane asked, looking through the baby's chart.  
  
"Yes, five months ago," Mulder replied, turning to look at Scully. She shrugged, having no idea where Jane was going.  
  
"Well, she shares a number of genetic markers with you, Dana," the doctor replied. "If you hadn't told me different, I would swear that she is your child."  
  
*~*~*  
"That's impossible," Scully responded, looking first at Mulder, then the doctor. "I've never been pregnant. We . . . she was a foster placement. I mean her mother . . . " her voice trailed off as Mulder reached for her hand.  
  
"Dane . . . it's not . . . it's not impossible," he paused and looked at the doctor. "What does this mean, if she's Scully's daughter?"  
  
"It's more than that. She also shares genetic markers with you. I could be wrong, but there is a greater than 97% probability that Anna is your natural child."  
  
Mulder's mouth dropped open as he processed the doctor's news. How had this happened? Was this why their attempts to get pregnant had not been successful? My god . . . Anna, that beautiful child was his. His and Scully's. Their impossible dream.  
  
Scully got up and walked toward the window. She stood there staring out until Mulder gathered his scattered emotions and went to her, gently turning her to face him. Her eyes were filled with tears.  
  
"When does it end, Mulder? When do they stop controlling everything we say, do, our children?"  
  
"Can I help with something?" Jane asked, her face covered with concern. Scully shook her head.  
  
"This is more than you can help us with. Please, just do what you can to save Anna," she responded, her voice betraying the enormous fear she was feeling. She couldn't lose another child. Not again. Not this child that she had loved and nutured for over a year.  
  
"What's next?" Mulder asked the doctor.  
  
"Well, you don't have any more offspring out there do you?" Jane asked. Scully snorted.  
  
"Hell, there could be 65 floating around for all we know." Jane looked at Mulder, clearly confused. Getting his incipient hysteria under control, he managed to say, "Not that we know of. What is the difference?"  
  
"We need to find a donor match for Anna. She isn't responding to the drug therapy like we had hoped. An identical twin would be best, a sibling next. It's best for the marrow to come from someone with your combination of DNA rather than from one of you. If that is impossible, then we would look for an unrelated donor."  
  
"Please, don't be shocked by this, but would a clone work?" Mulder asked.  
  
The doctor looked at him, clearly shocked. "Other than the impossibility and the ethical problems? No, a clone would be the best option, but that isn't really a possibility, is it?"  
  
"Who knows? Who knows anything anymore? I do know that I'm getting to the bottom of this once and for all," Mulder stated. He spun his chair around and left the room. Scully shrugged her shoulders at the doctor and turned to follow him.  
  
*~*~*  
"How did this happen?" Scully asked as they made their way back to Anna's room.  
  
"Should it surprise you?" Mulder asked. "It was all just a little too easy when I think about it. I wonder if this means we could have saved all that money we spent on the adoption lawyer?"  
  
"Mulder. Not now. Not with the jokes, the sarcasm. I can't take it . . . " Scully sunk down on the bench along the wall, her hand over her mouth as she began to cry. Mulder moved closer and pulled her toward him. He held her as she began to cry harder.  
  
"I'm sorry. I . . . I didn't mean it that way."  
  
"I'm just so sick of . . . my god Mulder, she's our child. When did they do this? How far does it all go. Can you imagine? They stole your sperm, my eggs. They created this child somewhere else. Why can't we . . . "  
  
"I don't know. I wish I had the answers, but we have to deal with this later. What we have to do now is help Anna."  
  
"How are we going to do that, Mulder?" she asked. She wiped her eyes, her nose sniffling slightly.  
  
"You go back upstairs with your mom and Anna. Keep looking for the donor. I'm going to check out some other options," Mulder replied, looking down the hallway.  
  
"What do you mean, other options?" Scully asked, looking at him intently.  
  
"You know what I mean, Scully. Who do we always go to for answers for these questions? Go be with the baby. I'll be back shortly." Mulder turned and moved down the hallway.  
  
*~*~*  
It was weird to be back at the Hoover building. Realizing that his career at the FBI was over had been hard for Mulder. After he resigned, he had intended not to return. It was only something as dire as the need to find the cure for Anna's disease that would bring him back here.  
  
"Agent Mulder, it's good to see you again," the security guard said as he passed through the clearance area.  
  
Mulder didn't bother to correct his salutation. Getting used to being Dr. Mulder instead of special agent was an adjustment, along with all the other adjustments that the past few years had brought on.  
  
"Good to see you too. I have an appointment with Assistant Director Kersh."  
  
The guard checked the master schedule, found the appropriate entry, and presented the log book for Mulder to sign. "I'll assume you know where to go," he said as Mulder moved past him. Mulder nodded and waved goodbye.  
  
Kersh wasn't actually expecting him, but hacking into the FBI master schedule was child's play for the Lone Gunmen. Mulder felt the element of surprise would be in his best interest. He had no love for Kersh, but from what Scully had observed during his disappearance in the Caribbean, he was more likely to have the connections Mulder needed than Skinner would.  
  
"Mulder, what are you doing here?"  
  
Speak of the devil. Mulder turned at the sound of his former boss' voice.  
  
"Sir. Good to see you," he replied, holding out his hand. Skinner took it in a firm handshake.  
  
"I thought I told you when you left to not make yourself a stranger around here. I mean, we could get lunch sometime or something," Skinner replied.  
  
Mulder laughed. "Those are the kinds of things that one says, but never plans to act on. Anyway, life is busy these days, you know."  
  
"I heard. How's the baby? Congratulations, by the way."  
  
Mulder's face grew serious. "She's . . . she's sick, that's what I'm doing up here. I was looking for some information I though Kersh might have."  
  
"Kersh?"  
  
"I really don't want to talk about it out here," Mulder said, looking around the hallway. Agents and other FBI personnel moved up and down the hallway, trying to seem not to notice the man in the wheelchair talking to the assistant director. Skinner stepped back and ushered Mulder into his nearby office.  
  
"So what's the deal, Mulder?" Skinner asked after he sat down at his desk.  
  
Mulder related the story of Anna's adoption, her illness and the stunning news they had received earlier in the day. Skinner pulled his glasses off and pinched his nose.  
  
"And Kersh is going to help how?" he asked.  
  
"I know that your relationship with the Consortium has soured over the years, but Scully found our smoking friend in Kersh's office a couple of years ago. Since I left the bureau I've kind of lost track of him. I thought Kersh might know where I could find the man."  
  
"And what do you expect to find if you do locate him?" Skinner asked.  
  
"Anna needs a bone marrow transplant. We seem to keep running into Scully's ova floating around in human form. If there is a sibling out there, we need to find him or her. I've . . . I've done so many things to Scully, caused her so much pain, I am not going to lose this baby. I don't care what I have to do."  
  
"Why don't you leave the deals with the devil to me, Mulder. I'll do some looking around and get back to you. Go back to the hospital. Scully needs you there with her."  
  
Mulder considered the offer for a moment, then thanked Skinner and moved down the hall to the elevator. Back to Scully, his wife and Anna, this miracle baby who needed him more now than ever.  
  
*~*~*  
Mulder made his way into Anna's room. They had moved her into a private room, the last step before an isolation tent. She was holding her own, but the clock was ticking. Scully was asleep on a chair, her head leaning on the edge of the crib. The baby lay in the crib, also asleep. Maggie was on a recliner, her coat covering her while she napped. Mulder rolled over to Scully and touched her shoulder. She shuddered and then woke up.  
  
"Any success?" she whispered. Mulder moved his head toward the door, indicating they should talk in the hall. Once they had exited the room, he told Scully about his conversation with Skinner and their former boss' offer to help.  
  
"Is that really the best idea?" Scully asked. "Can we trust him?"  
  
"We can't afford not to," Mulder replied. "How's Anna doing?"  
  
"She's been sleeping, but we have to find that marrow. She's . . . she's slipping away from us, Mulder." She broke down and started to cry. He took her hands and drew her down onto his lap, her head tucked against his chest.  
  
"We're going to find the answer. I'm not letting anything happen to you or her again."  
  
*~*~*  
Skinner called and told him to meet their mutual friend at a pub near Catholic University. Mulder told Scully he would be back and went downstairs to find a cab.  
  
The cab dropped him outside the restaurant. After wrestling with the oversized door he made his way into the darkened building. He signaled to the host that he saw his party, and rolled over to the table with the second chair removed. He eased up to the table, the ashtray already filled with Morley butts.  
  
"I hear you're looking for me, Mr. Mulder," the man said as Mulder waved off the server.  
  
"It's Dr. Mulder now, but let's not waste our time on semantics. This is going to stop and stop now," Mulder spat out.  
  
"Whatever do you mean, Fox?" the man replied, a bemused expression on his face.  
  
"You are done fucking with my life, Scully's, our baby's. You've had your chance. We're not a threat to you any longer, so leave us the hell alone."  
  
"But, you need something from me. That is what you're here for, isn't it?"  
  
Mulder stared at the man, wondering again how evil incarnate could walk the earth so easily. "You know what I need," he said quietly and evenly.  
  
"I believe I heard something about a bone marrow transplant for little Anna. How do I fit in with that?"  
  
"Are there others?" Mulder asked, his eyes pleading for answers.  
  
"Others?" the smoking man asked.  
  
"Other children. Other children made from the ova you stole from Scully and the sperm you stole from me," Mulder retorted.  
  
"Those are pretty big accusations, Fox.. I would be careful how I stated that."  
  
"If there are other children out there, you need to tell me. I deserve that. After all that you have done, taken from us, the least you could do is save our daughter. You can't wish to hurt a child," Mulder pleaded, praying that there was some shred of compassion in this desiccated old husk.  
  
"I'll see what I can find, Dr. Mulder. My best to your wife and baby. I can't believe you didn't figure this out sooner, she is the spitting image of you."  
  
He didn't wait for a response from Mulder.  
  
*~*~*  
An unidentified male baby, age approximately three months, was discovered in the waiting area of the emergency room at the Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Matheson inquired about the child after an anonymous caller tipped her off. Blood tests again proved that not only was the child the biological off-spring of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, he was a near perfect bone marrow match for Anna Mulder. At Dr. Matheson's behest, emergency permission was granted from DC Social Services to perform the transplant.  
  
  
*~*~*  
Three weeks later  
  
Mulder sat outside the window of the isolation room watching Anna sleep. Scully was down the hall with the baby boy they planned to call Bjorn. He tipped his head back, the sleep threatening to take him right there in the hall. It had been a whirlwind of nervous anxiety and sleepless nights since Anna had first become ill. She already looked better and her blood count continued to improve. Maggie Scully had been dispatched to buy another crib and get the house set up for a new baby.  
  
Mulder smelled the stale cigarette smoke before he heard the visitor come up behind him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Mulder asked.  
  
"Is that any way to thank me for saving your daughter's life?"  
  
"I think that just makes us even," Mulder replied.  
  
"And the new one, the boy. He's doing well?"  
  
"I'm sure you know," Mulder answered.  
  
"Well, if I can be of further assistance . . . ."  
  
"I don't think that'll be necessary," Mulder cut in.  
  
"You know there is a lot of research going on out there that the public doesn't know about," the man replied, taking a long drag off of his cigarette.  
  
"I think we're doing just fine now," Mulder responded.  
  
"All this hoopla with Christopher Reeve, testing on rats. Spinal cord regeneration isn't so far off . . . especially for those who have connections," he took another drag, turned and walked away before Mulder could respond again.  
  
The End 

 


End file.
